This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Endurance sports such as triathlons, marathons, and cycling are becoming increasingly popular both as competitive sports and as recreational activities for novice athletes. Such endurance sports are often conducted year-round and in different climates, thereby requiring participants to perform in unfavorable and challenging environments. For example, triathlons are generally conducted regardless of the weather and therefore often subject athletes to extreme temperatures and/or wet conditions. As a result, the performance of the athlete is compromised with energy that could otherwise be directed to the particular physical activity (i.e., running, biking, or swimming) being spent cooling or heating the athlete's body.
Cycling and running, in particular, present a unique challenge to an endurance athlete in hot-weather conditions. Namely, not only must the athlete contend with ambient-air conditions during the event, cycling and running come with the additional challenge of dealing with heat generated by infrared (IR) radiation caused by heat reflecting off of the ground and other surroundings back at the athlete. The ambient-air temperature coupled with the heat radiated from the ground and other surroundings increases the body temperature of the athlete and, as a result, negatively impacts the athlete's ability to optimally perform.